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How “200101” Became My Least Favorite Number This Holiday Season

This is (hopefully) the least fun thing I will ever write on this blog; I just wanted to get my trials and tribulations with this process out there in order to 1) maybe help anyone else who is experiencing a similar issue and 2) relieve some of my own frustrations. – Ryan

I began the Wii to Wii U transfer process on December 27th. It’s now December 31st and I still don’t have my Wii saves and Virtual Console games on my Wii U system.

This is my story.

(Cue dramatic flashback music)

Last Thursday, I had a bit of free time so I began the transfer process, knowing that it would take roughly an hour or so. I formatted an SD card, downloaded the Transfer Tool onto the Wii and began. Everything went smoothly until I arrived at the step where I put the SD card with the Wii U data into the Wii. The system connected to the internet, read the data, began to connect to the internet again, and then bam:

Error Code: 200101, which would soon become my eternal nemesis. First thing I did, was naturally, “Try Again.” No luck, so I waited a few minutes and tried again. Same error. I power cycled my Wii, modem, router, and tried again. Same error. It was time for a Google search.

On Google, I found precious little help. There are practically no instances of this particular error occurring, so after not really finding anything mirroring my experience on Nintendo’s site or other tech/gaming forums, I decided to start the process over again from scratch. I formatted a different size and manufacturer SD card and began anew. Got to the same point in the process aaaaaand

Crap. OK, time to phone Nintendo’s customer support. After spending a relatively reasonable amount of time on hold (listening to the Hyrule Field theme from Ocarina of Time, a nice touch on their part), I was connected with a very friendly service rep. I explained my issue only to learn that the error code was one she was unfamiliar with as well. We went through the steps of the process on the phone all over again only to be met with the same error message. She told me that it was likely that Nintendo’s servers were experience a high volume of traffic and that I should just try the system transfer process again at different times and later in the week. OK.

Over the next few days, I would, at least once a day, turn on the Wii and try the transfer process. Every day, no matter if it was one in the afternoon, 6 AM, or midnight, I would be met with:

Being off work today, I decided I’d give Nintendo’s customer support another go. I called, explained the whole issue to a rep who transferred me to a network specialist. After going through all the steps with the network specialist, I was transferred to an advanced networking specialist (mom, I finally made it!). Also unfamiliar with the error code, the (again, extremely nice and easy to understand) advanced network specialist had me try everything under the sun in order to combat this foul error code.

We deleted the Wii U transfer tool and redownloaded it. We power cycled the system, router, and modem. I gave her remote access to my PC to try to change my network and router settings. I gave her remote access to my girlfriend’s Macbook to have even more access to the router (which is an Apple Airport Extreme, for the record). I deleted connections and manually entered new IP addresses and DNS settings. Still, every time trying the transfer tool, I would get this:

Finally, around the one-hour-and-forty-five minute mark of our conversation, she, after putting me on hold while consulting with colleagues (again, Hyrule Field theme from Ocarina of Time. Nice), determined that it was not a problem with my network or wireless settings, but rather my system, which would need to be sent in for repair. She apologized for not being able to solve my issue, I thanked her for trying, and she transferred me to the repairs department. This is where things went from inconvenient and a bit annoying to straight up bad.

I quickly and breathlessly explained the issue, which I felt that I had done a thousand times over the course of the day, and the representative took down my information. I gave him my serial number for the Wii and he informed me the system was no longer under warranty. OK, kind of expected that- I mean, I did get my Wii on launch day in 2006. He then goes on to tell me that there is a $75 repair fee, plus a $10 shipping fee to send it in.

Wait, seriously?

So I, exhausted from being on the phone for now over 2 hours, try to explain as nicely as possible that the Wii system works fine, connects to the internet fine, and has no other issues except that the application they made available just over a month ago does not work on the system. He said that he understood that and would waive the $10 shipping fee. I told him that I did not feel that I should have to pay any amount of money to simply transfer my saves and the Virtual Console games I had purchased to my new Wii U console.

Now we’re in worst case scenario mode and I’m getting desperate. I ask if there’s a way to just transfer the licenses for my Virtual Console games to my Wii U digitally on their end so I could redownload them, caring less and less about my saves and more about not losing my hundreds of dollars in VC games without paying seventy-five bucks. He said maybe, but would need to have an accounts representative call me back.

So that’s where we are now- I’m spending the remainder of 2012 sitting here with my phone close by, uncomfortably awaiting the call that will determine the fate of my (nearly 100) Virtual Console games.

I will update this post as I hear more, but in the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions of things to try, helpful advice, or kind words to put my troubled mind at ease, please comment here, Tweet at me @brawndwarf, or send me an email at Nintendofunclubpodcast@gmail.com. And uh, have a Happy New Year!

EDIT: UPDATE 1/4/13:

On Thursday, after not hearing from them for two days, I received this email from Nintendo:

Please call us regarding the issue you recently contacted Nintendo about. We understand that your time is important, so please contact us at 1-800-448-6797 at your earliest convenience. Our representatives are available 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., PST. We look forward to hearing from you. When calling please provide the representative with the following reference number .

Please note that if we do not hear from you within the next 7 business days (Mon Jan 14 2013), we will consider this issue resolved.

Sincerely,
NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC.

Notice a problem? Yeah, no reference number. I waited to see if they would send me another email with an actual reference number so I wouldn’t have to explain my whole situation all over again, but it never came, so I decided to call them this morning. Once on the phone with a rep (this time in the administration department), I awkwardly explained my situation, hoping that he would be able to pull up my case manually without a reference number, which thankfully, he was able to.

After scanning my case, he put me on hold for a few minutes and when he came back asked if, as a last case scenario, I’d be willing to send both my Wii and Wii U systems in for Nintendo to manually do the transfer, free of charge. I was a bit bummed about the idea about sending my Wii U in (I really love it!), but at least I wouldn’t have to pay anything. The rep said he would look into other options and let me know.

So once again, I await a call (or email)…

END UPDATE

EDIT: UPDATE 1/8/13:

After not hearing anything for four days, I decided to call administration myself this morning. I spoke to yet another new representative, explained the situation and how I had not received a call back. She pulled up my info, read all the previous rep’s notes, and suggested I be transferred to the repair department. My response was something along the lines of “please don’t send me to those people, they try to make me pay $85!” She put me on hold to contact them and explain my situation.

When she came back, she said that the department was told not to process the repair. She apologized, but told me she was clueless as to what to do at this point. She said she would send out a mass email to “the higher ups” and that I should hear something back in the next couple of weeks. WEEKS.